15 August 2016

We're half way through August now, in a land of bare branches, weedy gardens and mud. Last week we awoke to winter scenes as fairy-tale like as they get around here.

Frosted roof tiles.

Frosted cavolo nero kale. Good green stuff.

For our family, August is a time of children's birthdays, and this year feels momentous, with our first baby turning 13. We're realising that indeed this nearly-teenager of ours - who is turning rapidly into a young man - will leave us one day for new adventures. It is pretty sad to think about, because from the moment he was born he's been such a lovely, easy person to live with, and we don't quite know what we did to deserve him.

Maybe it was the unplanned pregnancy, the daily gin I drank until weeks later when I found out why I was feeling so strange, or the electric shock I got about half way through the pregnancy. It certainly wasn't prenatal vitamins and meditation. There were, however, a lot of peaceful, lush bushwalks, which helped me, if not him.

Fortunately we'll have our darling, fascinating and spirited girl a bit longer, as she's only turning 10. For a week or so she's been passionate about decorating cupcakes to take to school to be sold in order to raise money for the SPCA. Yesterday was the day, and she did a fine job, with just a bit of help from me. She even swept the mess off the floor afterwards!

This girl can write (so can our boy, but he won't let me share or show much about him anymore). So,
if you've been noticing that autumn feels like it's a Very Long Way Away now, here is her story of Dutter to explain why.

In autumn her class had to make a creature from leaves, and name it (hers, you may have guessed, is called Dutter). Last week they were asked to write a story about their leaf creature, and this is what she wrote:

Dutter

Sliding on ice,
Flying through air,
Padding slowly to his lair,
Dropping leaves as he goes,
amber, golden past his foes.
Curling, waddling, flying around the world, and every where he goes, autumn comes and leaves. Through in and out the days, as he flys, he sometimes would like a rest, at home or anywhere throughout the golden west.
Autumn comes and goes, but only when Dutter is here.
When he misses home you will see him coming back. For sometimes he needs to see his family and friends, and his cosy bed. Dutter, lovely and warm. Never gets called names and always is respected. He loves his family very much, but sometimes needs a rest. So, he is away for three months traveling the world, then coming back to his bed, home and warmth of his house.
Dutter loves to run, play and hunt while he drops his leaves, as he goes about his ways.
For, Dutter is A third penguin, a third cat and a third peacock.
Dutter!!!

(Errors repeated exactly as she wrote them. I couldn't figure out how to turn most of the dots on the 'i's into love hearts, though!)